In recent years there has been a distinctly increasing recognition of the disadvantages and limitations of convention reciprocating piston engines, particularly when compared to rotary engines. Because internal combustion piston engines have relatively unfavorable power-to-weight and torque characteristics, require burning of relatively high octane fuels in many instances, emit considerable amounts of increasingly objectionable harmful exhaust pollutants, have a relatively short life due to vibrational wear and lubrication problems, it has become recognized that such reciprocating piston engines are considered relatively inefficient and need improving upon.
Numerous rotary engine designs have been proposed in attempts to solve the problems inherent in the more conventional reciprocating piston engines. Most of the more recently developed activity in this field has been for the internal combustion form of these rotary engines in an attempt to reduce air pollution from conventional reciprocating piston type engines. Various forms of the rotary engines have been developed and which attempt to duplicate or replace the usual intake-compression-power-exhaust cycle of the conventional internal combustion engine. Among such prior art rotary engines are the eccentric rotor engines, such as the Wankel engine in which a rotor moves about a fixed gear within a trochoidal stator and with power delivered through an eccentric drive. Some other types of rotary engines include those known as cat-and-mouse engines in which a plurality of pistons travel in a circular path; multiple rotor engines employing two intermeshing rotors which turn about parallel axes; and some revolving cylinder block engines which combine reciprocating piston motion with rotational motion of the engine block, as in the present invention. However, some of the foregoing rotary engine designs still have certain drawbacks or limitations, which include problems in fuel economy, and hydrocarbon emission control, and which, for example, relative to the eccentric rotor type of engines include problems in cooling of the elements and in sealing of the engine chambers.
Therefore, a need exists for an improved rotary engine which eliminates or reduces the many inherent problems of existing engines of both the reciprocal piston and rotary engine type. Additionally, such as engine is needed which is economically feasible and one which may be adapted for several different types of commercial applications while substantially reducing harmful exhaust emissions.